Search Results (942)

Codex 462 of the Fondo Hortus Pisanus of the Biblioteca Universitaria of Pisa is a precious example of a 16th century illustrated herbal, Icones variarum plantarum, containing 35 tempera paintings by the German soldier Georg Dyckman, an amateur but highly talented artist. The manuscript was recently restored on the occasion of an international exhibition; the necessary preliminary studies for the restoration included a series of in situ diagnostic studies using contactless techniques (digital microscope, multispectral imaging, XRF, Raman and ER-FTIR). These analyses proved useful in deepening the knowledge of the materials and the execution technique of this type of illustrated herbals and in choosing the most appropriate solutions during the restoration phase. In view of the growing interest in this type of historical evidence, which involves both art history and the history of science, this study offers an interesting new perspective on the subject, useful both from a technical point of view for future conservation and for analytical and historical artistic studies. Full article

The first monographic exhibition dedicated to Vittore Carpaccio (ca. 1460–1525) in the US, and the first outside of Italy, was hosted at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, from 20 Nov 2022 to 23 February 2023 (from where it went to Venice). Building on the research of art historians and experts on Venice and the larger Mediterranean region in the early modern period, this paper examines Carpaccio’s depiction of various “Turks” in some of the large narrative painting cycles (teleri) commissioned by the devotional confraternities (scuole) in Renaissance Venice. While Carpaccio’s and the larger Venetian familiarity with Islam, including Turks, has been studied, this paper compares various female figures in the St. Stephen cycle with those in his St. George cycle, situating them in the larger historical context of the commissioning scuole (Scuola di Santo Stefano and Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, respectively). While attempting to uncover the significance, if not the identities, of a few individuals who stand out from the crowd, this paper urges caution when attempting to discern social history from a painting, much as we take literary texts (particularly those written well before our own times) with a grain of salt. Full article

The Russian empire’s displays of applied and decorative art at the Great Exhibition of 1851 and its immediate successors have long galvanised scholars for their semantic complexity. By contrast, Russia’s first selection of paintings for this fiercely competitive arena, shown at London’s International Exhibition of 1862, failed to ignite the public imagination and has largely evaded the historian’s gaze. While the three-dimensional artworks provided a recurrent source of wonderment for their superlative craftsmanship, stupendous materials, and often hyperbolic proportions, the paintings were apparently flat in every sense of the word: derivative, lacklustre, and incapable of capitalising on the opportunity that international exhibitions offered to present a national school. The dismissive comments they attracted set the tone for many later accounts, embedding the idea that Russian painting prior to the twentieth century was of limited consequence—a perception that would prove convenient to those asserting the originality of the avant-garde. Yet renewed consideration of Russia’s display of paintings in 1862 suggests that their critical reception speaks to concerns that went well beyond the pictures’ supposed obligation to represent a national school. Notably, a small but significant number of history and portrait paintings by academically trained and often well-travelled artists challenged notions of Russians as primitive and parochial. The technically adventurous of these parried the belief that Russian art was insufficiently mature to experiment in painterly effect. Most audacious of all, they broached unspoken national boundaries by daring to suggest that Imperial Russian artists could innovate in areas on which the success of British painting rested. The attitudes towards Russian painting in 1862 thus invite fresh scrutiny, revealing as they do a disruptive arena in which aesthetic rivalries and chauvinist sensibilities came to the fore. Full article

Large language models have expanded their application from traditional tasks in natural language processing to several domains of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This research studies the potential of these models for financial “nowcasting”–real-time forecasting (of the recent past) for cryptocurrency market conditions. Further, the research benchmarks capabilities of five state-of-the-art decoder-only models, gpt-4.1 (OpenAI), gemini-2.5-pro (Google), claude-3-opus-20240229 (Anthropic), deepseek-reasoner (DeepSeek), and grok-4 (xAI) across 12 major crypto-assets around the world. Using minute-resolution history of a day in USD for the stocks, gemini-2.5-pro emerges as a consistent leader in forecasting (except for a few assets). The stablecoins exhibit minimal deviation across all models, justifying the “nowcast strength” in low-volatility environments, although they are not able to perform well for the highly erratic assets. Additionally, since large language models have been known to better their performance when executed for a higher number of passes, the experimentations were conducted for two passes (Pass@1 and Pass@2), and the respective nowcast errors are found to be reduced by $1.2156\%$ (on average). Full article

This article offers a new perspective on Miriam’s red jewel in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Marble Faun (1860), interpreting it as a symbol of Jewish femininity, diasporic memory, and aesthetic resistance. Although the jewel has received little critical attention, this study suggests that it plays a central role in shaping Miriam’s identity and in articulating broader cultural anxieties around gender, ethnicity, and visibility. Through intertextual readings of Shakespeare’s Jessica and Walter Scott’s Rebecca and Rowena, the essay situates Miriam within a literary tradition of Jewish women whose identities are mediated through symbolic adornments. In addition to literary analysis, the article draws on visual art history—particularly Carol Ockman’s interpretation of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres’s 1848 portrait of Baronne de Rothschild—to explore how 19th-century visual culture contributed to the eroticization and exoticization of Jewish women. By placing Hawthorne’s portrayal of Miriam in dialogue with such visual representations, the essay highlights how the red jewel functions as a site of encoded cultural meaning. The analysis is further informed by feminist art theory (Griselda Pollock) and postcolonial critique (Edward Said), offering an interdisciplinary approach to questions of identity, marginalization, and symbolic resistance. While not claiming to offer a definitive reading, this article aims to open new interpretive possibilities by foregrounding the jewel’s narrative and symbolic significance. In doing so, it contributes to ongoing conversations in Hawthorne studies, Jewish cultural history, and the intersections of literature and visual art. Full article

This paper considers how Buddhist art of the early Tang dynasty was shaped by concerns with states of consciousness and transmigrating spiritual entities. Focusing on the Medicine Buddha (Skt. Bhaiṣajyaguru) tableau in the main chamber of Mogao Cave 220, dated to 642 CE and among the earliest full wall transformation tableaux at Dunhuang, I propose that the tableau depicts a structured process centered around the transmigrating spiritual entity of spirit consciousness (shenshi 神識) and its transformations that were visually expressed by lighting devices. Other elements in the tableau, such as the dancers and bodhisattvas seated in the pond, are also part and parcel to this visual project of transformation, as indicated through the colors of their attire and the types of dance being performed. The spirit consciousness could be visualized through lighting devices in the Medicine Buddha tableau because of the associations of lamps with vital, spiritual parts of humans since the first century CE. More importantly, the central role of the spirit consciousness in the Medicine Buddha tableau shows that such Buddhist murals depicting rituals and performances situated among grand edifices could be visual expressions of states of spiritual entities and their transformations. Seemingly intangible spiritual entities in Buddhist art were thus inextricably intertwined with and visually expressed through physical objects and their representations. To this end, this study is a first step towards understanding the pictorial program of Mogao Cave 220 and similar cases through explorations of cognitive templates that informed the creation and production of Buddhist art, with the spirit consciousness as a case in point. Full article

Dolpo is a culturally Tibetan region in the inaccessible parts of the Himalayas, where Buddhist and Bon traditions coexist to this day. Due to their religious significance, the temples and monasteries of Dolpo reflect the historical connection to the religious centres of the Tibetan area. Accordingly, a holistic documentation of the preserved buildings can provide new insights for the development of typologies of Buddhist architecture in the Western Himalayas. To shed light on the mainly undocumented Buddhist architecture of this region, we launched our first research project in 2018. As a result, the architectural documentation of eighteen Buddhist sites in Dolpo is now available for the first time, based on the on-site assessment and survey during four field missions between 2018 and 2023. It provides an overview of the location, descriptions and references, photographs, sets of plans and 3D models of the surveyed buildings, enabling an inventory of the region’s cultural heritage to be initiated. The results enable us to establish a comprehensive typology of Buddhist architecture in Dolpo that allows for comparative analyses with buildings already documented in previous projects. Last but not least, the documentation provides the basis for much-needed restoration work. Full article

Background: HIV drug resistance (DR) mutations can compromise antiretroviral therapy (ART) success among children living with HIV (CLHIV). We conducted a secondary analysis using data from a randomized control trial for ART monitoring among CLHIV in Kisumu County, Kenya from 2019 to 2023, to assess clinical, psychosocial, and structural factors associated with HIV DR. Methods: 704 CLHIV were followed for 12+ months, with characteristics captured at enrollment and follow-up visits in the “parent” randomized-controlled-trial (of point-of-care plasma viral load testing and for viremias ≥ 1000 copies/mL HIV genotyping for DR vs. standard-of-care) and an observational “extension” substudy (of participants on a dolutegravir-containing ART with genotyping performed on viremic specimens ≥ 200 copies/mL). A multivariate modified Poisson regression model was used to analyze factors associated with sequences yielding a Stanford HIVDR database DR penalty score (DR-PS) ≥ 30 to a nucleos(t)ides and/or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, protease inhibitor (PI), and/or integrase inhibitor (INSTI). Results: Among 113 (16.1%) participants who underwent genotyping, 93 (82.3%) had a DR-PS ≥ 30. DR-PS ≥ 30 were associated with age 1–5 years (adjusted risk ratio (ARR) = 1.84; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07, 3.14), history of viremia ≥ 1000 copies/mL (ARR = 4.18; 95% CI: 2.77, 6.31), prescription of a PI- (ARR = 6.05; 95% CI: 3.43, 10.68) or INSTI-containing regimen (ARR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.08, 3.11), poor adherence to ART (ARR = 1.91; 95% CI: 1.32, 2.76), lack of caregiver confidence in ART administration (ARR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.11, 3.22), and mid-sized clinic populations (ARR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.92). Conclusion: Addressing social factors associated with DR-PS ≥ 30 may improve ART success among CLHIV. Full article

The Shrine Madonna is a unique form of cult statuary within the wider Madonna and Child tradition, linked to broader Marian iconography. Building on previous scholarship, this article focuses on the visual relationship between the Virgin and the worshiper, giving primacy to the Shrine Madonna’s gaze. Analyzing three key examples: the Boubon, Rhineland, and Morlaix, Shrine Madonnas reveal how these objects function as mediators of sacred presence, theology, and compassion. Theoretical frameworks surrounding gaze theory and medieval concepts of vision and visuality buttress a discussion of three distinct gazes—direct, mutual, and averted—that facilitate a compassionate response and establish divine hierarchy. This work argues for a shift from viewing Shrine Madonnas as static devotional objects toward recognizing their dynamic role in mediating affective spiritual exchange. Shrine Madonnas are active subjects who command theological space and engage viewers through a reciprocal gaze that alters perception. Rather than passively being observed, they watch back, reflecting and redirecting the viewer’s desire, thereby implicating and transforming them. Full article

Leopold Blaschka (1822–1895) and his son Rudolf (1857–1939) created scientifically accurate glass models of marine invertebrates that reshaped natural history education in the 19th century. Their work overcame the limitations of traditional preservation techniques, allowing for detailed and lifelike representations of soft-bodied sea creatures and botanic species. Today, their models are preserved in prestigious collections worldwide. This paper examines not only the historical and artistic significance of the Blaschka models but also presents the findings of recent material analyses, including computed tomography (CT), scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDS), visible ultraviolet fluorescence (UVF), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The multi-analytical approach allowed for the characterization of the chemical composition of the glass and adhesives used, shedding light on the Blaschkas’ unique manufacturing processes and material choices. Data from this study demonstrate how the combination of a multi-analytical approach with knowledge of historical glassmaking practices can provide a solid foundation for both conservation efforts and further academic investigation into these composite objects. The study underscores the models’ value not only as artistic masterpieces but also as technological artifacts, offering insights into 19th-century scientific craftsmanship at the intersection of art and biology. Furthermore, the study presents a conservation intervention based on scientific evidence and a skilfully tailored solution, chosen piece-by-piece, part-by-part of the intricate glass models. Full article

Background: Spinal solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are a rare oncological entity, almost anecdotal in the pediatric population. They have a high relapse rate and represent an ongoing oncological challenge. Methods: In this article, we conducted a systematic review starting from a case report to highlight the current state of the art in managing these tumors. Results: Spinal solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are rare, slow-growing neoplasms that can be either intra- or extramedullary. Only a limited number of studies focus on primary pediatric spinal cord localization. Five pediatric cases of spinal SFT have been documented in the literature. On MRI, they typically present as highly vascularized, contrast-enhancing masses. Histologically, they are composed of spindle-shaped cells within a collagenous stroma featuring staghorn-shaped blood vessels. More aggressive subtypes, such as dedifferentiated SFTs, resemble high-grade sarcomas. The NAB2–STAT6 fusion is a key marker, driving EGFR signaling, collagen production, and fibrosis. Additional diagnostic markers include CD34, CD99, and Bcl-2. Surgical resection remains the primary treatment. In metastatic cases, chemotherapy—mainly with anthracyclines, dacarbazine, or temozolomide—is employed, although no standardized pediatric protocols exist. Anti-angiogenic agents, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors, have shown promise. Radiotherapy is used postoperatively for local disease control, but its impact on survival is still under investigation. Conclusions: Surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment, significantly impacting the natural history of the disease and symptom control. While clinical trials exploring radiotherapy and chemotherapy are ongoing in adults, no specific treatment protocol has been established for pediatric patients. Full article

Background: In people living with HIV (PLHIV), ongoing neuronal injury has shown a correlation with elevated levels of soluble markers of immune activation, such as sCD163. Additionally, various risk factors, such as injection drug use (IDU), can independently affect immune and cognitive functions, leading to neurocognitive impairment (NCI). However, the potential sCD163-IDU-NCI axis in ART-experienced PLHIV is not clear. This study aims to determine NCI prevalence and investigate the interplay between risk factors and sCD163 in Pakistani PLHIV. Methods: For this cross-sectional study, 150 PLHIV and 30 HIV-negative people who inject drugs (PWID) were recruited using a convenience sampling strategy. NCI screening was performed using the International HIV Dementia Scale (IHDS) tool. Blood samples from PLHIV were used to perform HIV recency testing using the Asante Rapid Recency Assay, and to evaluate sCD163 levels using ELISA. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from medical records. Subsequently, descriptive statistics were used to summarize data variables, while comparisons (two and multiple groups) between participants with and without NCI were conducted, respectively, using the Mann–Whitney test or Kruskal–Wallis test for continuous variables, and Fisher’s exact test for categorial variables. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to assess the discriminative ability of sCD163. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of neurocognitive impairment. Results: The majority of PLHIV had IDU as a high-risk behavior. In PLHIV, the median age was 34.5 years (IQR: 30–41), ART duration was 35 months (IQR: 17–54), and median CD4 count was 326.5 cells/µL (IQR: 116–545.5). Long-term infections (>6 months post-seroconversion; median ART duration: 35 months; median CD4 counts: 326.5 cells/μL) were noted in 83.3% of PLHIV. IHDS-based screening showed that 83.33% (all PLHIV) and 50% (PLHIV with no IDU history) scored ≤ 9 on the IHDS, suggestive of NCI. IHDS-component analysis showed the memory recall to be significantly affected in PLHIV compared to controls (median score 3.2 versus 3.7, respectively, p < 0.001). Regression analysis showed only long-term infection (OR: 2.99, p = 0.03) to be significantly associated with neurocognitive impairment. sCD163 levels were significantly lower in PLHIV with NCI (mean = 7.48 ng/mL, SD = 7.05) compared to those without NCI (mean = 14.82 ng/mL, SD = 8.23; p < 0.0001), with an AUC of 0.803 (95% CI: 0.72–0.88). However, after adjusting for IDU history, the regression analysis showed an odds ratio for sCD163 of 0.998 (95% CI: 0.934, 1.067, p = 0.957), indicating no association between sCD163 levels and NCI. Conclusion: This study reports a high prevalence of NCI in Pakistani PLHIV, and no association between sCD163 and neurocognitive impairment in PLHIV after adjustment for a history of IDU. Long-term infection and IDU were significantly linked to NCI, while only IDU was associated with lower sCD163 levels, regardless of NCI. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sleep plays a key role in female fertility. Sleep disturbances (SDis) during pregnancy are common and may negatively affect maternal health, contributing to an increased risk of perinatal depression and anxiety. Aim: The present prospective study aimed to examine the interplay of sleep, anxiety, and depression during the pregnancy and postpartum stages, comparing women who conceived naturally (NC) with those who conceived through assisted reproductive treatment (ART). Methods: The study included five timepoints: pre-pregnancy (t0), the end of each trimester (t1–t3), and the postpartum period (t4). SDis were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Fatigue Severity Scale (FFS); perinatal depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Demographic and clinical characteristics were also collected. Given the imbalance in group size and the dispersion of values, a negative binomial regression model with robust variances and Satterthwaite approximation for the degrees of freedom was applied. Results: Compared to women with NC (N = 37), those undergoing ART (N = 57) were more likely to be older (p < 0.001), married (p < 0.001), unemployed (p < 0.001), and have a history of thyroid disease (p = 0.008). Significant differences between different time points were observed in both NC (N = 37) and successfully conceived ART groups (N = 9) in all sleep, fatigue, and well-being parameters. Notably, at the end of the first trimester (t1), the ART group reported more severe insomnia symptoms (p = 0.02). Conclusions: SDis are common in pregnancy, but more pronounced during the first trimester among women on ART. These findings highlight the need for early screening and targeted psychological support during perinatal care. Full article

The protection of masterpieces from natural hazards is one of the most important goals regarding heritage conservation. This work studies the seismic response of “Marzocco” by Donatello, which is the heraldic symbol of Florence, currently exposed at the National Museum of Bargello (Florence, Italy). The sculpture stands over a marble base and a magnificent marble pedestal by Benedetto da Maiano, which is part of the piece of art. The artwork is placed on the first floor of the museum, and it is subjected to seismic accelerations, eventually amplified by the seismic response of the building itself. The dynamic response of Marzocco is checked with reference to the overturning and sliding collapse mechanisms. Three overturning models have been considered, involving respectively the statue only, the statue and the base, and the statue with base and pedestal. The seismic input has been assumed through an ensemble of seven ground motions, which is spectrum-compatible with the Code’s one. Both the acceleration histories at the ground and at the floor have been considered. The seismic response has been found by performing a time-history analysis on a finite element model. The analysis showed a satisfactory seismic performance of the case study, pointing out the role of the single modeling assumptions. Full article

The Chu-style lacquerware (CSL) dataset is a digital resource specifically developed for the digital preservation and inheritance of Chu-style lacquerware, which constitutes an important component of global intangible handicraft heritage. The dataset systematically integrates on-site photographic images from the Hubei Provincial Museum and official digital resources from the same institution, comprising 582 high-resolution images of Chu-style lacquerware, 72 videos of artifacts, and 37 images of traditional Chinese patterns. It comprehensively demonstrates the artistic characteristics of Chu-style lacquerware and provides support for academic research and cultural dissemination. The construction process of the dataset includes data screening, image standardization, Photoshop-based editing and adjustment, image inpainting, and image annotation. Based on this dataset, this study employs the Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) technique to train three core models and five style models, and systematically verifies the usability of the CSL dataset from five aspects. Experimental results show that the CSL dataset not only improves the accuracy and detail restoration of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated images of Chu-style lacquerware, but also optimizes the generative effect of innovative patterns, thereby validating its application value. This study represents the first dedicated dataset developed for AI generative models of Chu-style lacquerware. It not only provides a new technological pathway for the digital preservation and inheritance of cultural heritage, but also supports interdisciplinary research in archeology, art history, and cultural communication, highlighting the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration in safeguarding and transmitting Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). Full article